Sunday, February 28, 2010

Frankenstein lookalike and lightweight Norman Finkelstein wannabe Antony Loewenstein rarely gets anything right but, on the subject of the Passportgate, he's really nailed it!Here's the headline he attributed to his latest rant:

The Australian public is getting a good, long hard at Israeli behaviour*

The headline is right on. Judging by comments on talkback radio, many Aussies are envious of the Israelis for having as effective a security agency as Mossad which usually and efficiently disposes of would be mass murderers who threaten its citizens.* I suggest you get in early before the Ant discovers the magnitude of his latest blooper.

Friday, February 26, 2010

The news is full of the Passportgate Affair and it's interesting to observe how it's being treated by the media. Officially, the government is following all of the normal protocols in such situations including the calling in of the Israeli ambassador, talking the hard talk and banging on about the integrity of our passports.

The media has found Israel guilty as it usually does and even those who normally support Israel are expressing annoyance. Never mind that Australia is part of the alliance in Afghanistan that is wiping out Taliban members in their droves along with ordinary rank and file civilians as a result of "blunders" by its soldiers. No guilt, no war crimes there, just look away please.

On the other hand, the Australian street is full of admiration for whoever perpetrated the act of wiping out el-Mabhouh who is seen as "a scumbag terrorist". Listen to the talkback callers who say Israel has no case to answer and our Jewish community does not have to respond to the cacophony of accusations. Andrew Landeryou who might not be to everyone's liking but he does talk straight on this issue in his Vex News and has it nailed to the wall - USE MY PASSPORT: Hamas mass murderer got what he deserved, all else is trivia.

CAN WE STOP THIS TRIVIAL PURSUIT?

And in this case where the allegation – completely unproven – that those responsible for protecting Israeli citizens safe from those whose intentions are the same as Adolf Hitler before them (just not quite as organised) have engaged in a little creative Photoshop and Passport manufacture in order to get their agents in and out of hostile dictatorships, we look at the front-page outrage and we hear the Prime Minister’s Churchillian denunciations and are left saying ‘so what if they did?'

Notwithstanding, when you open up tomorrow's papers you will be confronted with a fairly hefty modicum of Israel bashing, so enjoy it all in the knowledge that whoever did it has disposed of one more mass murdering Jew hater. It's worth reading the product of these shonks knowing that their pathology requires them to vent as often as they can at their traditional targets.

When a former senior intelligence officer of the Palestinian Authority's Anti-Corruption Department had a story to tell about corruption within the PA most media outlets were not interested.

Shabaneh, who lives in East Jersualem, Israel, said he decided to break the story to Abu Toameh after most of the Arab and Western journalists, including those at Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya, refused to listen to him. Shabaneh said the journalists cited various reasons, including fear of retribution from the Palestinian Authority; a lack of desire to publish anything that would reflect negatively on the Palestinians; fear of 'losing access,' and, 'Editors are not interested in a story unless it has an anti-Israeli angle.'

Get it?

It boils down to racism and you'll see exactly how it works tomorrow when we witness the true fallout and how the accusations will be directed at a country and a people who might well be implicated but, to date, there is no evidence of guilt on Israel's part.

Tomorrow, the faking of a passport will be the most heinous crime ever committed in the history of mankind and the Israelis will be pronounced guilty in spite of some baffling evidence which points us elsewhere in the search for the wrongdoer. Agents for Hamas and Fatah have been detained in connection with the killing of the would be mass murderer el-Mabhouh who was responsible for the deaths of more Arabs than Jews. Why would an organisation noted for it's skill and efficiency require a cast of plenty to execute a lone man without bodyguards? Why would the Mossad escape through Iran? Why has the Dubai police chief suddenly gone off on a pilgramage to Mecca and why did his police force allow a known terrorist to go around Dubai on a false passport whilst involved in weapons trading.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

An Elvis Presley lookalike. Will his forged passport turn up in the Dubai police investigation? Probably!

Goodness gracious. According to this unattributed article (well, the reference at the bottom is to "Agencies") in the Sydney Morning Herald, the supposed Mossad operation in Dubai that took out the celebrated would be mass murderer -Mahmoud al-Mabhouh (well celebrated among the lunatic far left, Hamas lovers, antiSemites and the usual suspects in the media, particularly those who might write for "Agencies") has grown to an extraordinary 26 including some Aussies!

That's extraordinary because, after all, the idea behind the operation was surely to eliminate a single terrorist who was operating on his own and without any security. Did they need more than two or three operatives to carry out the deed? Well, it certainly looks like it given the information the Dubai Keystone cops are leaking to those "agencies" searching for further inculpatory stories for use against Israel and the Mossad. Note how the writer weaves former Israeli Minister Tzipi Livni into the story, quoting her praise for whoever carried out the deed as if it were a confession (which it was not!).

So now that the Mossad carries out executions with the aid of a cast of thousands, including a key grip, a gaffer and an Elvis Presley look- alike, what has this done to its image?

This, despite the fact that here's no evidence connecting Mossad with the "dirty deed" and the fact that the only arrests have been of Palestinians involved with both Hamas and Fatah.

The image of an incompetent and bungling Mossad is of course, exactly what the enemies of Israel would like to portray and hence their obsession with fingering the organisation for murdering their celebrity mass murderer of Jews. And is it not strange that the growing list of forged passports links the case with countries that are friendly or supposed to be friendly with Israel? Could this not point to a very good reason why those not so well disposed to the Jewish State would want to point the blame in its direction?

There is another story going around which appears in today's Australian that shows another side of Mossad's activities - Israel's top mole reveals secrets. It reveals that the son of a Hamas founder helped the agency foil numerous attacks from the world's "deadliest terror network."

What, Hamas a deadly terror network? You wouldn't have thunk that if you read the Age lately, would you?

That's why I get the feeling that this one is never going to see the light of day in those organs of the media that shun stories about Hamas, what it does and what it truly stands for.

This assault is apparently the third "blunder" of its type during the recent initiative to remove the Taliban.

The article goes on to add that according to the UN "2,412 Afghan civilians were killed last year, the highest in any year of the war."

This is several times the number of civilians killed in the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians (even if you accept the Hamas figure which is highly bloated for propaganda purposes) but there's still no suggestion of war crime trials or any investigations or inquisitions carried out at the behest of the powerful Muslim lobby by the likes of Sir Richard Mohammed Goldstone.

That's because nobody really gives a rat's toss about a thousand or two dead civilians in Afghanistan. There are no Jews in sight to blame for their deaths which are therefore relegated from "war crimes" to mere "blunders".

Monday, February 22, 2010

One of al-Mabhouh's victims. He's a Jew who was murdered by a Hamas missile so the media doesn't really care much, if at all.

Why has a dead terrorist garnered so much sympathy in western circles? Because it's suspected in some quarters that the Israelis were behind it, that's why.

Last week 12 innocent civilians (and possibly many more) were killed in the NATO strikes against Taliban in Afghanistan. Nobody cared.

In the week that Hamas terrorist Mahmoud al-Mabhouh met his death scores of Iraki civilians perished in suicide bombing attacks. Nobody cared.

But if a ruthless murderer like al-Mabhouh gets it in the neck, there's an outcry among the snooty British press (and our own) if they can pin it on the Israelis. The Guardian and the Age have been in a lather about this even though they really can't pin this on the Israelis. There are far too many inconvenient facts as Tom Gross reports - Is Israel the only suspect over Dubai death?

And while some get into an absolute dither about the Dubai police being the best police force in the Middle East (or perhaps the best police force money can buy) there are more questions unanswered by their supposed investigation than any that they've solved. And, as one correspondent to the Australian pointed out they might also want to commence an investigation into how "a self proclaimed murderer was able to freely travel there and procure Iranian arms under their noses."

Sunday, February 21, 2010

In an article published yesterday on the front page of the Age Postcard from Israel: Swinger of the Middle East charts course Jason Koustikis seizes on a map in a pamphlet handed out at a national park near Israel's only golf club at Caesaria as an indicator of the national mindset in relation to its attitude to the two state solution.

Koutsoukis contends that the fact that the map marks out Judea and Samaria without noting this area as being part of a separate Palestinian West Bank entity somehow demonstrates that Israel has trouble recognising the right of Palestinians to sovereignty but he's drawing a long bow here.

This is a map used as a marketing tool for national parks. It is not meant to be a political map, nor a reflection of Israeli government policy. There are literally thousands of other maps on official documents that clearly mark out the boundaries between Israel and the West Bank which Koustoukis conveniently ignores to present in this weak and questionable argument. Neither is it part of a tool used in schools to teach young Israelis about political realities in the neighbourhood and Koutsoukis knows this.

On the other hand, official Palestinian documentation put out by the Palestine Authority (to which Koutsoukis fleetingly alludes in his article) is fervently pushed in the West Bank public domain and taught in its school text books always excluding Israel from its maps while in Gaza, where Hamas rules by virtue of a violent 2007 coup, the ruling party's charter specifically states that Israel must be destroyed. Israel and the Jews do not feature on any map coming out of Gaza. Koutsoukis knows this too!

Yet, has he ever deigned to enlighten his readers about how these maps are used by both the PA and Hamas to sow deeper hatred between Israel and its Palestinian neighbours? How it is taught in the schools or how it is presented in the Palestinian media? Other than a one liner in this particular article used to highlight in juxtaposition that which is produced on a national park's pamphlet and ignoring the weight of tons of official Israeli documents - the anwer is no!

While Koutsoukis' contention is correct about the need for the Israelis to maintain adherence and respect for the rights of the Palestinians to self-determination his article is muddled by a clear anti-Israel agenda exemplified by the selective use of this pamphlet which is hardly an indicator to public opinion within the Jewish State of the people's attitude towards the complex issue of the West Bank, the settlements and peace with the Palestinians.

While Koustoukis often has a critical say about what's going on among the Israelis (and he's entitled to do so), he routinely remains reticent about the far greater obstacles to peace presented on the Palestinian side of the divide. The constant failure to report on these issues demonstrates the skewed nature of his brand of journalism which is a major impediment to the understanding his readers might have about the true situation in the region. The end result is that his views become something more than critical - they are hypocritical!

It's time for Koutsoukis to produce a balanced picture and I await with interest his expose of the scandalous way in which official Palestinian groups depict the geographical map of the area instead of permitting this important story to remain on the Blank Pages of The Age.

Saturday, February 20, 2010

L.Leroux's letter in response to Noel Pearson's article comparing Aboriginal culture to Jewish culture makes some interesting points (Letters,16.02.2010). Historically there have been close ties between the Aboriginal community and the Jewish community in Australia, with many Jewish Australians figuring prominently in Aboriginal campaigns for citizenship rights and Land Rights.

A inspirational example of this relationship is highlighted in the story of William Cooper. Cooper, of Yorta Yorta descent, spent most of his life in the Cummeragunja community in NSW and was a prominent leader in his community's struggle for land rights. Later he settled in Victoria. On December 6, 1938, Cooper and the Aboriginal Advancement League, appalled at the horrendous Nazi attack on the German Jewish Community on Kristallnacht ('The night of the broken glass') on 9-10 November, 1938 protested to the German Consulate in Melbourne against the Nazis' treatment of the German Jewish community. This is the only such recorded protest at that time. The Aboriginal protest led by William Cooper is not widely known in the general community, but the Australian Jewish community remember and honour this wonderful act of moral courage, solidarity and humanity. A commemorative plaque has a prominent place in the Jewish Holocaust Museum, Melbourne, and trees have been planted in the Martyr's Forest near Jerusalem to honour Cooper and his fellow Aboriginal leaders. Noel Pearson has highlighted some differences between Jewish culture and Aboriginal culture but we should also be aware that these two proud and ancient peoples also share a great deal and have enjoyed a long and often close and mutually supportive relationship.

Friday, February 19, 2010

When a sovereign nation is forced to defend its citizens against terrorists who use their own people as human shields you would think the rules and the prevailing attitudes around the world to such conduct would be uniform throughout the world.

Alas, it seems that they are not and that, in fact, there is a double standard at work.

Here's an example:

BBC World News reporter Frank Gardner is in Afghanistan reporting on the US led Nato offensive against the Taliban. Yesterday at 1248 local time, he was interviewed live in Kandahar by a host presenter in London who asked whether suggestions by an Afghan general that the Taliban were using civilian shield could be confirmed. This is how a dead pan straight-faced Frank Gardner responded:

"Well, the investigation into those twelve civilian casualties is still ongoing but the initial indications are that the rocket that was fired by the US troops in Marjah did not go astray. It hit exactly the target it was supposed to and that target was a building where the insurgents were firing on US troops, we're told, and in that building there were civilians. So I think the insurgents were well aware of the propaganda value of civilian casualties and there is an absolute three line web from the top here, from General Stanley McCrystal to avoid civilian casualties whatever the circumstances so they're hardly using any air drop bombs at all."

The entire interview was conducted in a matter of fact manner and without the sneering cynicism that BBC reporters dealt with when confronted with a similar fact situation when Israel was fighting Hamas in Gaza last year. I guess there will be no Goldstone Mission into the death of Afghanistani civilians, no war crimes alleged and no finger pointing and hysterical hatred of the people who the NATO forces represent.

According to the Orwellian standards applied by the BBC, the world just loves Hamas and what it stands for and it can do no wrong.

Senator ABETZ—Take that on notice. I do not want to delay too much. Last estimates I asked question on notice No. 88, ‘Topic: On-air corrections’. Thank you for the detail of that. I notice the issues are summarised below in that answer. I was told, for example, that on the ABC Classic FM program New Music Up Late on 30 May 2006 there was a ‘lack of attribution of a composition’, a heinous offence, and the ABC made an on-air apology and correction. Over the page, there was a complaint that a report about a protest meeting of the Bega Valley Shire tourist industry stated:

... an incorrect location of the meeting. A clarification was issued during the following week’s program.

There are really major issues here—lack of attribution and accidental misstatement of where a meeting was held. They were all done on air, but when the state of Israel is accused of committing war crimes, your answer No. 87 says:

The investigation was finalised on 22 May 2009, and the correction was made as an editor’s note on that day.

Accusing a nation-state of war crimes in comparison to lack of attribution of a musical piece on Classic FM gives me some idea of the value judgments being made in the ABC. Does it or not?

Mr Scott—No, I would not say so, Senator.

Senator ABETZ—All right. Why not? Tell me why I am wrong.

Mr Scott—I think the local radio station put some material to air that they then, under their own operation, corrected, as did Classic FM. The matter that you talked about that was raised at the October estimates in question on notice 87 was to do with the issue with the school. Is that correct?

Senator ABETZ—That is right.

Mr Scott—I think we covered this last time in some level of detail. The shelling occurred in January. The story ran everywhere and continued to run that it was Israeli tank fire on the school. Then there was a UN retraction. We carried that story of the retraction.

ECA 30 Senate Monday, 8 February 2010

ENVIRONMENT, COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS

Senator ABETZ—But how often?

Mr Scott—We carried it in our news online.

Senator ABETZ—Yes, online but—

Mr Scott—We carried it on The World Today, our national current affairs program, and then we made—

Senator ABETZ—You have a number of national current affairs programs, like AM and PM, which have a much greater audience than The World Today.

Mr Scott—We carried it on a national current affairs program, Senator.

Senator ABETZ—With a very low listening audience.

Mr Scott—We made a mistake in May. I absolutely accept that in May we made a mistake by, I think, a reporter incorrectly referencing previous files about the original UN claim.

Senator ABETZ—That is right.

Mr Scott—Then we made an editor’s note that appeared on our online site that clarified that the shelling in all the facilities took place outside and not inside the school, and we published the summary of the upheld complaint against us. Senator, if you go back to the original story that was run around the world, as you are aware, when that became clear we broadcast that. We ran a story online, repeated it on one program and then amended our record accordingly.

Senator ABETZ—Would you accept that the story got out to a larger end audience than the retraction or clarification?

Mr Scott—I think that is likely, Senator, yes.

Senator ABETZ—Would you agree that the ABC Classic FM correction went out basically to the same audience that listened to the nonattribution?

Mr Scott—I think that circumstance is—

Senator ABETZ—And the same with the Bega tourist industry location?

Mr Scott—They are two minor examples, Senator.

Senator ABETZ—So here we go. We had the heinous offence of nonattribution for a classical piece of music, and we made sure that the same audience got to hear the apology. Similarly, with the Bega tourist meeting when the location was wrong we made sure that the same audience got to hear the correction. But if I might say, with respect—and I might have my values out of kilter here—asserting a war crime against a nation-state, in my value judgment at least, rates somewhat higher, somewhat more seriously, yet the ABC did not see the need to ensure that the correction got the same coverage to the same audience that originally heard that heinously false allegation. That is the summary of the situation.

Mr Scott—Yes, I cannot argue with that.

Senator ABETZ—So you agree with the summary. If you agree with that summary, can you see that it leaves a lot of Australians concerned that the ABC would not adopt a similar approach to what it did with ABC Classic FM and Bega ABC to make sure that the same listening audience was disabused of the misinformation that it heard?

Mr Scott—Yes, I understand that criticism, Senator.

Senator ABETZ—What are we doing about this in the future to ensure that these things do not happen again?

Mr Scott—I appreciate that. This morning we have 65 live microphones broadcasting ABC content around the country; we are broadcasting Australia Network into 44 countries and Radio Australia across the region as well. At no time before this Senate committee have I suggested that our programs are flawless and that our follow-up is always flawless. This is a significant issue for us, Senator. We are reviewing our editorial policies in the first six months of this year; we have reviewed our self-regulation mechanisms as well. I do not want us to be reluctant in setting the record straight when that is the right and the appropriate thing to do, nor do I think we should be reluctant about running on-air corrections from time to time. We have and we do. I have asked at times for that to happen. We will be reviewing our corrections policy in light of our self-regulation, a review that has happened, a review of our editorial policies, and those matters will be considered by the ABC board.

Monday, 8 February 2010 Senate ECA 31

ENVIRONMENT, COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS

Senator ABETZ—If lack of attribution is worthy of an on-air apology, surely allegations of war crimes by a nation-state are similarly worthy, in the ABC mindset. Can I tell you that in my mindset they are a lot more worthy than non-attribution of a Classic FM piece. I hope I have made my point clear and I look forward to the ABC changing its policies in relation to on-air apologies.

I already knew that two other members of the mission Christine Chinken and Hina Jilani predetermined views and an anti-Israel agenda when they were appointed, but this fruitcake takes the ... er, well the fruitcake. To claim that only two Hamas rockets were fired at Israel a day flies in the face of the evidence produced during the conflict on a daily basis when certain television reporters with sympathies leaning the same way as those of Travers were able to almost triumphantly crow that the Palestinian terrorists were still able to fire off their rockets despite the Israeli invasion.

The man is a liar and a fool which means that he had excellent credentials to take part in the Goldstone Mission.

TWELVE Afghan civilians have been killed during a major US-led offensive against Taliban in southern Afghanistan, as commanders said booby traps and snipers wereslowing progress. NATO claimed responsibility for the deaths, which it said happened on Sunday when two rockets missed their target and landed on a compound as troops came under fire in the Nad Ali district of Helmand province.

Applying the "evidence" and the "logic" of the Goldstone Report on Israel's war in Gaza, this is simply not good enough and all of the nations involved in the war effort against the Taliban are culpable and must face trial for war crimes. The soldiers involved must also be arrested.

Of course, if nothing is done about this, then the Israelis will be vindicated in their condemnation of Goldstone as an unprincipled racist attack on one single country rather than an attempt to establish guidelines for fighting assymetric wars.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Sacked Liberal Democrat nutter Jenny Tonge was concerned that Israel stole organs in Haiti. She forgot the electric guitars and the kettle drums.

Liberal Democrat Baroness Jenny Tonge's call on the IDF and the Israel Medical Association to investigate allegations that the IDF medical team in Haiti harvested organs for transplant has led to her dismissal from the frontbench of the Liberal Democratic party - Lib Dem health spokeswoman sacked.

Party leader Nick Clegg said that he did not believe that Baroness Tonge was, "anti-Semitic or racist," which is a cheeky piece of utter rubbish.

The woman was dismissed from a frontbench position in 2004 in similar circumstances after expressing sympathy for suicide-bombers.

Saturday, February 13, 2010

On the eve of Valentine's Day, I almost missed this fabulously romantic Odd Spot from Thursday's Age:

An Arab ambassador has called off his wedding after discovering his wife-to-be who wears a face-covering veil is bearded and cross-eyed. He sued for the contract to be annulled and also demanded compensation for clothes, jewelry and other gifts he had bought for her.

Not very diplomatic or politically correct in my view. After all, he could just as easily bought her a pair of dark glasses and a razor!

Friday, February 12, 2010

The Dome of the Rock: Built on a site stolen from the Jews and occupied for centuries. It's time to give it back too!

The Age reports on a protest lodged with the UN by a group of Palestinians descended from 15 of Jerusalem's oldest Arab families seeking to prevent the construction of a "Museum of Tolerance" on the car park to the site of an ancient Muslim cemetery - PALESTINIAN FAMILIES APPEAL TO UN OVER 'TOLERANCE' MUSEUM ON CEMETERY. They claim to have evidence of ancient gaves under the entire site including the car park.

They make a good point and I'd like to see the Israelis do a deal with them so that the relevant authorities can exchange the car park site for the entire Temple Mount including the Dome of the Rock which was built on the site of the Second Temple, a site sacred to the Jews from well before the founding of the Moslem religion.

The Israelis could then demolish the old building and construct their Museum of Tolerance or a Third Temple in its place and the Palestinians could do what they want with the car park and the cemetry.

At the end of the Civil War, Sherman wrote, speaking words that all democratic societies truly feel:

"I confess, without shame, I am sick and tired of fighting-its glory is all moonshine; even success the most brilliant is over dead and mangled bodies, with the anguish and lamentations of distant families, appealing to me for sons, husbands and fathers....It is only those who have never heard a shot, never heard the shriek and groans of the wounded and lacerated ...that cry aloud for more blood, more vengeance, more desolation."

Yet Sherman did not live to see the age of ideological warfare, no matter what the cost to their own people the radicals and Islamists do indeed call for "more blood, more vengeance, more desolution." They do so in the hope that their enemies are "sick and tired of fighting," will do anything to avoid casualties and the "anguish and lamentations," from citizens, and that fools in the enemies' camp blame the continued warfare and suffering on their own side.

Sunday, February 07, 2010

I've been doing my weekend reading on a glorious Sunday morning and it came as no surprise that the two local broadsheet newspapers have taken a completely different perspective on the recent assassination of Hamas terrorist Mahmoud al-Mabhouh.

The Age's Jason Koustoukis, who has already had a very poor week as far as his credibility is concerned, has compounded things with the tone of his piece - Mysterious death in Dubai turns spotlight on Mossad. The death of al-Mabhouh might be a mystery for some but Koutsoukis leaves us in no doubt. The Israelis must have dunnit!

Those who bother reading the Age's propaganda journalism would be aware of my policy of reading articles like this one from the last paragraph upwards because it's only near the bottom that the writer reveals that there might possibly be other parties interesting in knocking off this piece of Hamas low life. In this case, right on cue and a few paragraphs from the end Koutsoukis reveals that it might not be the Israelis after all:

"... many people in the Arab world wanted Mabhouh dead."

Actually, if you follow the international news on a daily basis in more reputable news outlets that applies to a lot of people both inside and outside the Arab world apart from the unfortunate Mr. Al Mabhouh. Why, only the other day about 140 were blown up in Irak and ... so on and on ...

Saturday, February 06, 2010

The letter of the week goes to this piece of uninformed drivel which appeared in yesterday's Melbourne Age under the title of "Shooting messenger"

IT IS ironic that Victoria's State Zionist Council has achieved that which the Australian Friends of Palestine could not (''Welcome mat pulled from Israeli academic'', The Age, 4/2).The AFP failed to win support for its proposed boycott of Israeli academics, artists and a female tennis player, but a few inflammatory remarks from the State Zionist Council has forced the cancellation of a visit by Israeli academic and former Knesset member, Naomi Chazan, hosted by the Union for Progressive Judaism.This "victory" of being the first organisation to successfully impose a boycott of an Israeli academic - coming here to raise funds for Israel - ranks on par with its sister-organisation the Australia/ Israel and Jewish Affairs Council's May 2009 victory in preventing Jewish actor Miriam Margolyes providing free entertainment for elderly Jewish citizens because she had also performed in the critical play Seven Jewish Children.The council says the reason for undermining Chazan's visit is that her New Israel Fund funded bodies that spoke to the UN's judge Richard Goldstone and his staff for its report on Israel. They clearly don't understand the dictum of not shooting themessenger.David Langsam, Flemington

Now, it may not be good form to shoot the messenger but let's at least get our facts right.

Professor Chazan's visit has been postponed because of the controversy surrounding her position as President of the New Israel Fund. The Zionist Council of Victoria (formerly the State Zionist Council) was not responsible for her being invited in the first place. Jason Koutsoukis' Age article named her major promoter the Union for Progressive Judaism and, while the ZCV did withdraw its support for Chazan's visit, the reasons given for that were hardlyinflammatory remarks. The ZCV acted within its rights in wishing to disassociate itself from the visit of the person who headed a fund that was coming under strong scrutiny for funding groups that had against its interests by allegedly providing false information to the Goldstone Report and worse, for advocating the destruction of Israel as a Jewish State. Those who had donated to the NIF were entitled to an answer to questions that are being raised in Israel's Parliament - the Knesset.

In the meantime, the group that was bringing out Ms Chazan quite correctly felt that her visit at this time would affect it fundraising effort for Israeli causes. And I might add to that, "legitimate Israeli causes".

Langsam makes another blooper when he accused the Australia/ Israel and Jewish Affairs Council's May 2009 of "preventing Jewish actor Miriam Margolyes providing free entertainment for elderly Jewish citizens because she had also performed in the critical play Seven Jewish Children."

AIJAC did no such thing (see Set record straight). Ms. Margolyes' visit was cancelled by a Jewish social welfare organisation, Jewish Care, which did not wish to expose its elderly Jewish residents to Margoyles given her support for an openly anti-Semitic piece of gutter politics which sought to equate Israel's defence of her citizens with the activities of the Nazis.

However, it's much easier to attack organisations like ZCV and AIJAC than it is to attack a religious or communal social organisation. Either way, the community has seen through this sick piece of propaganda for what it is.

Friday, February 05, 2010

Wistrich is certainly aware that not all criticism of Israeli policy is inspired by hatred of the Jews and Judaism, but the logic and the structure of influential arguments attacking Israel have been ominously identical to the imputations of vast power and enormous evil attributed to world Jewry by European anti-Semites of old. The lethal obsession of the recent past, according to Wistrich, has been a melange of the old conspiracy theories of that infamous forgery, the Protocols of the Elders of Zion,with Marxism-Leninism, secular third worldism, and Islamism. In this period, the center of gravity of anti-Semitism has shifted from Europe to the Middle East and Iran. Although the cultural sources of the anti-Semitism of recent decades differ from those in Europe, the publicly articulated policies of the government of Iran and itsproxies Hamas and Hezbollah, are no less lethal. Far from clearly recognizing the danger, too much of the political mainstream in Europe has failed to acknowledge the anti- Semitic resurgence. And in certain precincts of the Muslim diaspora in Europe, radical anti-Semitism has been re-exported back to Europe and on occasion enters the mainstream of political, journalistic, and intellectual life.

Thursday, February 04, 2010

The Age Middle East correspondent Jason Koutsoukis wrote yesterday that "an Israeli army report on its conduct in Gaza last year has revealed that two officers were disciplined for endangering human life when they authorised white phosphorous shells to be fired in the direction of a UN compound." - Israel disciplines army officers over Gaza.

Wrong.

Koutsoukis must get his news second hand - possibly from the BBC or from Haaretz but as CAMERA and Melanie Phillips both explain, the so-called "news" that Koustoukis happily imparted about Israel's alleged use of white phosphorus during last year's Operation Cast Lead was incorrect. As Phillips says:-

The two officers were reprimanded not for firing phosphorus shells but artillery shells. Phosphorus shells were being fired on this occasion, but entirely lawfully -- in order to create smoke to deter Hamas from firing its anti-tank weapons.

You'd think a good journalist would have gone to the source and actually read the report, wouldn't you?

Wednesday, February 03, 2010

From the Israellycool Blog an interesting item about a British taxpayer watchdog group, the Taxpayers’ Alliance, which unveiled two reports – “Palestinian Hate Education Since Annapolis” and “Funding Hate Education,” – detailing the role of European foreign aid in funding the demonization of Israel in PA schools and media.

Worth reading and remembering that the PA is supposed to be Israel's peace partner and signed on to the Road Map which had as one of its first steps the ending of incitement.

Monday, February 01, 2010

It's amazing what the Israelis get blamed for these days. Apart from the many charges of war crimes, poisoning wells, causing the earthquake in Haiti, harvesting Palestinian organs here's another one from Elder of Ziyon who has noticed a report in the Palestinian media today in which they are blamed for causing deformities in a new born baby.

When will these people start taking some responsibility for themselves and stop blaming the Jews?